Wasted Pain

Last summer I received a text on my cell phone.

"Pray for baby Molly. She was born earlier today and rushed to Children's Hospital. Don't know any details. Will keep you posted."

I knew the girl who sent me the text, but I had no idea who Molly was, nor her parents. But I prayed. I prayed for 7 days until I got the next text.

"Baby Molly passed away today. Thank you for all of your prayers."

WHAT!?!?!?

But I prayed.

I prayed for a little innocent life.

I prayed for people that I didn't even know.

But God did not heal baby Molly like I wanted/expected Him to.

He healed that precious girl, but He healed her by bringing her home to be with Him.

More questions. Why? Why would you give this young couple a little girl for only 7 days? Why?

I came across this message yesterday. I still have never met this family, but I have kept up with their lives this past year. I have rejoiced in their ups and cried with their downs. I knew that they were going to be featured in their pastor's message last Sunday and was waiting to see what they had to say about Molly.

My heart broke with them all over again. But, the message that they pastor gave was incredible! He talks about not wasting the pain that we are allowed to suffer. He talks about questioning God and how even Jesus and Paul asked God the tough questions. Sometimes we think we are struggling in our faith if we question God, but Jesus cried out to His Father, "God, why have you forsaken me?" According to Websters Dictionary, forsaken means to renounce or turn away from entirely. Hmm, I wonder if your neighbor asked God that if we would question their faith.

Jesus understood that God is good and you can trust Him. This is the "umbrella" statement that Pastor Jim really hammers home. He really challenges you to make sure that you have this figured out before you are faced with a painful situation. Understand that you will waste your pain if you don't start with God is good and you can trust Him. This is the "different perspective" that you need.

So, if you have God and pain in your life, then there are questions:

1. Why is this happening?

2. Why doesn't God fix it and make it stop?

Jesus promised us pain and suffering right before He experienced the most excruciating pain and suffering. So, if pain and suffering are unavoidable in your life, how do you make sure that as you go through your pain, not one drop is wasted?

Pastor Jim goes on to say that from the second question, why doesn't God stop it, comes two theories:

Either God could help but He won't, and He's a mean God. Or, God would like to help, but He can't, which makes Him impotent.

The message is long (about 40 minutes), and you have to listen to a worship song and a few announcements before Pastor Jim begins is sermon, but if you have some time, I would strongly encourage you to watch this video. It's a very powerful message, and really made me think.

Go to Flatirons website. You will want to look for the May 2-3 message. If you click on the black f, you will be able to watch the entire message. His message begins about 8 minutes into the video and Molly's story comes at about 35 minutes. Please let me know what you think.

These are some of the questions that I am now currently working through:

1. What kinds of questions do you find yourself asking when life gets painful?

2. Why does pain often cause us to ask questions of God?

3. Jim said knowing the answer to “why” would not make the pain go away? Agree or
disagree?

4. Have you ever wondered how God could be good and not make your pain stop? Why
do we assume the most loving thing God can do is take away our pain when it comes?

5. Is it possible that pain can be leveraged for God’s glory and our good?

6. Read Romans 8:31-32. How did God leverage Jesus’ death for His glory and our good?

7. What circumstances in your life are causing you pain right now? Can you see a way that
God could leverage it for His glory and your good?

8. What attitudes and actions threaten to waste our pain?

9. How would beginning with the belief that “God is good and I can trust Him” change
everything?

10. What other options do you have? What do they lead to?

11. Read 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. What does it mean that “my grace is sufficient for you.” Is
God’s grace really enough?